Body tilting mechanism



Feb. 18, 1941. B. GRUBER 2,232,230

BODY TILIING MECHANISM Filed May 10, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2min /a ATTQRN Y5.

Feb. 18, 1941. E. B. GRUBER BODY TILTING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 10, 1940 Patented Feb. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BODY TILTING MECHANISM consin Application May 10, 1940, Serial No. 334,339

5 Claims.

My present invention relates in general to improvements in the art of handling material in bulk, and relates more specifically to improvements in the construction and operation of mech- 5 anism for effecting tilting of the load confining bodies of material transporting vehicles.

Generally defined, an object of this invention is to provide an improved body tilting assemblage which is simple and durable in construction, and

which is moreover highly eflicient in use.

Many diiferent types of dumping mechanisms have heretofore been proposed and utilized with varying degrees of success, for the purpose of ellecting tilting of a load carrying body so as to facilitate delivery of the material therefrom by gravity. While some of these body tilting assemblages are operable mechanically, hydraulic hoists are frequently utilized to actuate the same; and when hydraulic hoists are utilized it is desirable to minimize the initial or starting pressure in the hoist cylinder, and to provide for shockless and smooth tilting so that the load will be quickly but gradually dumped. In any event, the dumping mechanism must be durable, simple, and devoid of parts requiring frequent attention, in order to reduce the cost of construction and maintenance to a minimum; and the prior tilting assemblages have not met all of these specific requirements to the entire satisfaction of the purchasers and users of this class of equipment.

It is therefore a more specific object of the present invention to provide an extremely simple, compact and durable dumping rig, which is especially adapted to be operated by a hydraulic jack or hoist of relatively small size.

Another specific object of my invention is to provide an improved body tipping mechanism whereby the body may be quickly but gradually tilted without shock by providing for smooth transition from one stage or position of inclination to another.

A further specific object of the invention is to provide an improved body dumping mechanism which can be manufactured at moderate cost, and which may be applied as a unit to relatively standard truck and body assemblages.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved body tilting unit utilizing a relatively small hydraulic jack or hoist, and which can be safely and effectively manipulated to effect controlled delivery of loads of bulk material.

These and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed descrip- A clear conception of the features constituting the present improvement, and of the manner of constructing and of operating body tilting assemblages embodying the invention, may be had by referring to the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various views.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the major portion of one of the improved body tilting assemblages, showing the load carrying body in horizontal position;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same assemblage, showing the body initially slightly tilted;

Fig. 3 is another similar view of the body tilting assemblage, showing the body tilted to extreme dumping position; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the improved body tilting mechanism, showing the body in extreme tilted position.

While the illustrated embodiment of the invention shows the improved mechanism operable by means of a single hydraulic jack, and applied to a tiltable body mounted upon a road vehicle, it is not my desire or intent to thereby unnecessarily restrict the scope of utility of the improvement.

Referring to the drawings, the frame or chassis 6 of an ordinary motor driven vehicle or truck, is mounted for transportation upon wheels I; and the load carrying body 8 and the hydraulic jack or hoist 9 for tilting the body 8 to dump the load, are swingably suspended from a subframe ill which is rigidly but detachably secured to the chassis 6. The body 8 which may be of any desired type, is preferably mounted upon supporting beams H which are swingably suspended at their rear ends from the sub-frame I0, by means of alined pivot pins l2; and the hoist 9 may be mounted upon a transverse channel beam I3 and has a cylinder H which is swingably suspended at its front or lower extremity from the sub-frame I0, by means of alined trunnions IS. The hydraulic hoist 9 also has a piston l6 reciprocable within the cylinder I4, and may be supplied with liquid such as oil under pressure by means of a pump I! carried by the beam l3 and cylinder l4 and operable from the vehicle propelling motor through flexible driving connections 18. All of these elements of the assemblage are of well-known construction, and the sub-frame l0, body 8 and hoist 9, together with the motion transmitting mechanism which is in- II terposed between the hoist and body, are applicable to and removable from the vehicle chassis 6 as a unit.

The outer or rear end of the piston i6 of the hoist 9 is provided with a head i9 carrying a pivot pin 20 which coacts with ears 2| rigidly .secured to a transverse tubular beam 22; and

the opposite ends of the. beam 22 are rigidly attached to the medial portions of cam levers 23 the swinging ends of which are connected by pivot pins 24 to links 25, and the opposite end portions of which are provided with notches 26 and with U-shaped angular notches or slots 21. The ends of the links 25 remote from the pins 24 are articulably connected to the body 6 by means of other pivot pins '28, and the notches 26 are adapted to coact with a transverse beam 29' rigidly attached to the sub-frame l0, when the body 8 is in horizontal or lowered position a in Fig.1. The U-sh'aped slots 21 coact with spaced pins 30, 3| fixedly secured to the sides of the sub-frame I0, and each of these slots has inner and outer arcuate portions 32, 33 respectively, both of which are generated or curved about the axis of the adjacent notch 26 and the beam pin 29 as a generating center. The curved portions 32, 33 of each slot 21 are connected by an oppositely curved intervening portion which gives the angular shape to the entire slot.

During normal operation of my improved body tilting assemblage, the body 8 is ordinarily disposed in approximately horizontal position as shown in Fig. 1, with the beams H resting upon the sub-frame I0, and the body 8 may be loaded with more or less bulk material of any desired kind. The hydraulic jack or hoist 9 will then be in its lowermost position beneath the body 6 and between the beams II, and the piston rod l6 of the hoist will be in its extreme retracted position while the levers 23 will be in engagement with the circular bar or beam 29. The pins 30, 3| will be positioned at the lower ends of the arcuate portions 32, 33, respectively, of the slots 21, and the links 25 which are disposed on opposite sides of the piston rod I 6 will be inclined slightly toward the rear as shown.

When it becomes desirable to tilt the body 8 so as to dump the material therefrom, the jack or hoist 9 may be supplied with liquid under pressure from the pump l1, and this liquid under pressure admitted beneath the piston [6 will cause the latter to move outwardly and to swing the levers 23 about the beam 29 as a pivot. This initial tilting of the body 8 will thus be accomplished by swinging the arms 23 about a re1atively short radius, thereby relieving the hoist from excessive starting pressure. As the body 8 reaches a predetermined position of initial tilting about its pivotshafts l2, the levers 23 will be automatically withdrawn from the beam 29, and the pins 30 will become effective as pivots for the levers 23, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The body 8 will then continue to swing about its pivot shafts 12 while the pins 30 act as fulcrums for the levers 23, and as the inertia of the body is augmented and the motion of the levers 23 continues, the pins 30 will ride out of their slot portions 32 and the pins 3| will ride along their arcuate slot por tions 33', as indicated in Fig. 3, until the pins 3| reach the extreme ends of the slot portions 33. In this position the body 8 will be in its extreme tilted position, and the levers 23 will have maximum effective throw or radius measured from the pins 24 to the fulcrum points.

By virtue of the formation of the slots 21 in the levers 23, and also by virtue of the provision of the notches 26, the levers 23 will gradually have their fulcrum points changed and removed farther from the swinging end pins 24, and this action will maintain the liquid pressure within the hoist 9 substantially uniform and will cause the body 8 to tilt without shock. The tilting movement is extremely gradual and the formation of the levers '23 permits most effective application of the tilting force throughout the entire tilting period. During lowering of the body 6, the pins 30, 3| will again ride within the slot 21 and will return from the position shown in Fig.

3, to that shown in Fig. 2, and will ultimately finally return to the position shown in Fig. 1 wherein the notches 26 engage the fulcrum beam 29.

From the foregoing detailed description it will be apparent that the present improvement provides a body tilting or dumping assemblage which aside from being extremely simple, compactand durable in construction, is highly eflicient in; use and may be manipulated with a hydraulic jack of minimum size. Actual use of the improved mechanism has indicated that the tilting action of the body 6 is rapid but gradual, and may be accomplished with minimum pressure within the hoist. The formation of the notches 26 and of the slots 21 in the levers 23, is such that the transfer from one pivot pin to the next is extremely gradual and without shock, and the mechanism is effective in operation regardless of the loading of the body 8. The short radius afforded by the pivot 23 is gradually increased to a maximum during final tilting. The return of the body to normal position is also effected in a most eflicient manner and without undesirable shock, so that the dumping mechanism is never subjected to excessive stress or strain. The notches 26 may form portions of slots, and the slots 33 may be formed as open notches, and it is not the intent to unnecessarily restrict the invention by the use of these specific terms, since all that is required is that the levers 23 be provided with recesses adapted for proper sequential coaction with the pins '29, 36, 3|. The improvement has proven highly successful in actual commercial use and can be applied to standard trucks and bodies at minimum cost and can also be maintained in operating condition without excessive attention.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit this invention to the exact details of construction or to the precise mode of use, herein shown and described, for various modifications with the scope of the claims may occur to persons skilled in the art.

' I claim:

1. In combination, a frame, a load carrying body tiltable relative to said frame, a lever having a swinging end articulably connected to said body to tilt the latter relative to said frame, said lever also having a recess and an enclosed U- shaped slot provided with two arcuate portions both generated about the axis of said recess as a center, fulcrum pins secured to said frame, said remote from its pivot to tilt said body relative to said frame, said lever also having a fulcrum notch and a slot provided with arcuate portions curved about the fulcrum notch axis as a common center, spaced fulcrum pins carried by said frame, one of said pins being cooperable with said notch and others of said fulcrum pins being cooperable with said slot portions, and means for swinging said lever to cause said fulcrum notch to initially coact with its fulcrum pin and to thereafter cause said curved slot portions to successively coact with said other fulcrum pins. 3. In combination, a support, a load carrying body tiltable relative to said support, a pair of rigidly connected levers each having its swinging end connected to said body to tilt the latter, said levers each having an external fulcrum notch and an internal closed U-shaped slot, a series of fulcrum pins carried by, said support, said pins being cooperable with said notches during initial tilting of said body and being thereafter cooperable with the opposite ends of said slots during subsequent tilting, and a hoist for swinging said levers.

4. In combination, a support, a load carrying body tiltable relative to said support, a lever having its swinging end connected to said body to tilt the latter, said lever also having a fulcrum recess and an angular U-shaped fulcrum guide slot remote from its swinging end, and pins carried by said support, said pins being cooperable with said recess to cause said lever to initially swing about a short radius and also being cooperable in succession with the opposite ends of said angular guide slot to increase the lever radius, and a hydraulic hoist coacting with said lever intermediate its ends for swinging the same to tilt said body.

5. In combination, a tiltable body, hydraulic means for tilting said body, a lever interposed between said means and said body, said lever having its fulcrum end provided with a notch and with a slot having arcuate portions curved onradii of different lengths concentrically about the notch axis, and three fulcrum pins successively cooperable with said notch and with the ends of said slot portions to change the effective length of said lever.

.EARL B. GRUBER. 

